There is no polite way to say it – ageism is rife in adland. In 2019, just 8% of WPP’s workforce was over 50, in Dentsu just 6.9%. The commonly quoted statistic that 5% of advertising agency employees are over 50 originally came from Forbes, related to the US and was first cited in 2016. But is it likely to be significantly different now? In Australia? Or globally? Ageism hasn’t changed. In juxtaposition, in the US people over 50 represent 38% of the population. That percentage is growing year on year and is expected to keep doing so for the foreseeable future (projections up to 2050 have been published).

All of this was a carpe diem by The Stable, triggered by the 40 Over Forty list. The Stable has been working to fight ageism in the creative industries, and meeting a brick wall of resistance, for a long time. The industry has championed almost every other “diversity” group possible in the meantime.

The age diversity platform, 40 Over Forty, launched in January 2020 to celebrate people over 40 who were being overlooked by traditional awards and ‘top lists’ due to their age. It has revealed its 2022 selection, featuring agencies and brands, and announced a new Most Committed to Age Inclusion accolade launching in 2023.

The 2022 list was created from 7,000+ votes and features CEOs, global CTOs, creatives and SVPs.

Ally Owen, age inclusion ambassador and founder of Brixton Finishing School, commented, “Ageism is an extremely popular and ironic ‘ism’ – if you are fortunate to be blessed with the opportunity to grow older you will have the ultimate karma – the age bias you possess will be mirrored onto you. You will realise the wealth of lived experience and skills you’ve gathered have the potential to deliver a multitude of values to business but will most likely be ignored or devalued.  Let’s unite to change this narrative – 40 Over Forty celebrates the achievements yet to come. Believe me – 40 is only the beginning. I set up BFS & The ADcademy at 45 and feel at 50 I’m only just getting started. Everyone should have the opportunity to thrive and be valued at work. This is especially true for communities where traditional structures devalued them in the workplace.” 

Anna Dalziel, founder, 40 Over Forty, added, “Brands, businesses and agencies are calling out ageism across the UK with real action being taken to readdress the skewed, outdated stereotypes that have existed for too long. We all grow older, if we’re lucky, and as we age, we gather experience, skills and knowledge that should be valued and shared. That’s why it’s amazing to see the range of diverse people in this year’s 40 Over Forty selection who deserve to be celebrated and we are evolving the platform in 2023 to continue our diversity and inclusive work.”

2022 40 Over Forty (listed A-Z by surname)